Flexible liquid dispensing container having a removable spout assembly and filter



I y 8 6 L. K. DAVIS 2,744,661

FLEXIBLE LIQUID DISPENSING CONTAINER HAVING A REMOVABLE SPOUT ASSEMBLYAND FILTER Filed Fe 5. 1955 2 sheets-Sheet 1 JNVENTOR. LINCOLN K. DAVISEL W A1 IORNEYS y 8, 1956 K. DAVIS 2,744,661

FLEXIBLE LIQUID DISPENSING CONTAINER HAVING A REMOVABLE SPOUT ASSEMBLYAND FILTER Filed Feb. 5, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. I

FIGEI Fl GJZII INVENTOR. LINCOLN K. DAVIS United States Patent 2,744,661"FLEXIBLE LIQUID DISPENSING CONTK INER HAVING A REMOVABLE SPOU-TKSSEMBEY "FILTER I "Lincoln Davis, Bro ckton, Mass 'assignorto TheFoxboro -Company, Foxboro, Mass, ncorporation of "MassachusettsApplication February 5, I953, Serial'No. 3351353 -3 Claims. -(Cl.222-189.)

.This invention relates tounits for containing and dispensingliquids,..for example, inks, oils, chemicals, flavoring extracts,medicine, and the dike, and has particular reference to flexiblecontainers wherein the dispensing of "the liquid .is accomplished :bysqueeZing'the-container.

Many activities require accurate applications of sma'll amounts ofliquid. The :loading of :pens with ink in .industrial trecordinginstruments :is an example. -TOtl'fer examples are: the application ofantiseptic :solutionao -wounds, the application-of acid drops tomaterial's under test; and the application of oil to small machineparts. In many such activities the points or'areas requiring theapplication of liquid thereto should not beatouchecl, or aretsmall-ordifiicult of access, with the :requirement ithat the liquid applied berestricted in :-amount :and area :of application. :Further, such points'or areas :may -ibe till devices or mechanisms-of substantial delicacyof "adjustment or structure.

"Certain .fiex-ible :=liquid dispensing containers .pYOVidE'd in the,past have been formed with :simple dispensing openings, or shortdispensingspouts which wenewunwieldy or unable to reach the points oftl'ifiicult or "dellCallfi access. .A further disadvantagehas been-thatwhen :such prior art containers are not'in use, their dispensingopeningsare-left=exposed,, with the result thatspilling, :evaporation andfouling may ensue, or else a separate cap :is supplied that may bedropped or lost.

Other prior art containers have been provided with longer and .in .somecases flexible dispensing spouts, but these also have .had nosatisfactory means of sea-ling when not in use. I

invention avoids these prior art difficulties thy providing .a flexiblelliquid dispensing container "with fa relatively .long and slenderspout, and with .means :for storing the spoutso that (less-space isrequired and at the same time its dispensing end is closedofi when (notin use.

It is, therefore, an object of this .inventiontoprov-ide a new andimproved unit :for containing-and tdispensing liquids.

This and other objects of this invention will be in part pointed out andwill be in part apparent from the text and claims here ,presented, andfrom the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure I is aperspective of a dispensing bottle --unit embodying thisinvention, nasittis positioned and-arranged when not in use;

.Figure III is an elevation-of the :unit of Figure :I, as it is.positioned and arranged-when in use;

..Figu-re .IIIis an enlargement, in central vertical sec tion, of aportion ofthe innit-of Figure 'I;

Figure IV .is .a --view like that of Figure iI, sh an alternativeconstruction;

Figure V is'a showing in 'central vertical section of anotheralternative structure of this invention;

Figure VI is a showing of still another alternative structure; and

SFigure VII is an enlargement, tin central vertical tion,-of-a=: portionof the -unit'-'of FigureVI.

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Referrin'g to Figure I, a liquid dispenserunit is shown, as anillustrative embodiment of this invention. This .unitcomprises,generally, a flexible container 10, :a closure plug 11, :a cap '12, adispensing spout 13, a recess .14,

5 and Ya liquid receiving tube .15. Reference to :Figure III shows,further, that the closure plug -11has an opening 16 therethrough, andthat a filter body 17 :is .containedin .the opening 16. A body 18 ofliquid to .be dispensed, is-shown in the container 1.0.

Considering :these various members, and with .particu- :lar reference to.Figure III, theflexible container 10-is asgenerally rectangular,flexible bottle. The bottle'isof the order of two inches .in height,with the other "dimensions of the unit generally. in proportion, asshown. This shape and these dimensions are useful, butnot intended aslimiting to this invention. .For example, the bottle may be round, vandthe dimensionsmuch greater,.if desired. Any flexible material orstructurefor the bottle v.may be used, with the main requirement beingthat squeezing at least a part-of the bottle willresult inforcing liquidor air through the dispensing spout 13 and that .upon .release from thesqueezing, the bottle will return substantially to its initial shape,such as shown here in Figure 'I. As a specific disclosure the bottle maybe formed of .a plastic such as polyethylene in 'trans'lucent 'form sothat the liquid in the bottle .is visible through'the bottle as an aidin controlling the-dispensing of the liquid. However, some forms ofrubber,.metal, or other material are also suitable, as'longas they areresiliently flexible. The nature of the liquid which the bottle isintended to dispense is also a factor in choosing th'eb'o'ttle material.Polyethylene, for example, .may be used as bottle material forcontaining .many inks, oils, and acids, without harm to the "bottles.

As .shown in Figure III, the bottle 10 has, in top central "location,'an upright, exteriorly threaded and openended neck 10'. This neck isgenerally cylindrica'Land provides access to the interior of.the'bottle. 'The closure plug 11 is also generally cylindrical and isremovably mounted in'theneck of the bottle, in close fitting relationtherewith. Polyethylene has been found "to "be a suitable material forthe closure plug 11. About midway of the length of the closure plug, anannular shoulder "llis provided, having a greater diameter -than theinteriordiameter of the neck of the bottle. The "shoulder Tl res'ts onthe top edge of the'n'eck of the bottle, acting as a liquid sealtherewith and as a'm'ea'ns of preventing the "closure plug from beingpushed into the bottle.

The cap 12 has a configuration somewhat similar to that of "a packingnut and is interior-1y threaded for engagement with the exterior threadsof the neck '10 of the'bottle 10. Formed in the top of cap 12 there isan opening 50 having a diameter somewhat greater than that of the plug11. The portion .of cap 12 defining the opening "50 forms an annularshoulder 1'2" adapted to'bear against the upper surface of shoulder 11'when cap 12 is threaded onto neck 10'. Thus the bottle is sealed as thecap 12 is threaded on 'to the bottleneck and the closure shoulder 11' isheldfirmly between the cap shoulder 12 and the outer edge of thebottleneck. The cap .12 may also be formed of polyethylene, :but it ispreferable to use a material of somewhat greater rigidity suchas'B'akelite, in order to sealthe bottle more securely. The outersidewall of the cap 12 is provi'defd with vertical ridges '12 as "a means ofalfordin'g'a betsupporting boss 11'' extends upwardly from "the top ofthe closure plug 11, in alignment with the opening 16 through the plug,as an aid in supporting, locating and identifying the end of thedispensing tube 13. On the side of the closure plug 11, above the cap12, a flat surface 19 is provided as a place for indicia or markings 20of direction or identification. The marking shown is Pull Out with anarrow pointing upward to indicate the end of the dispensing tube 13which is to be pulled, and the direction of pull, in order to remove thetube from the recess 14 as a step toward achieving the operativeposition and arrangement of Figure II.

As shown in Figure III, in the closure plug 11, the opening 16 extendsfrom end to end of the plug, along the length thereof. The inner end ofthis opening contains, in sealed relation with the closure plug, an endportion of the liquid receiving tube 15. This tube, also, is preferablyformed of polyethylene. The remainder of this tube extends downwardlythrough the neck of the bottle, and then curves to one side, toterminate adjacent a side wall of the bottle. This tube 15 extends onlya short distance down into the bottle proper. For proper use of thebottle unit, the bottle is filled with liquid only to a level whichfalls short of the tube 15 when the bottle is upright. Thus when thebottle is not in use, that is, when it is in the upright position as inFigure I, ordinary squeezing of the bottle will not introduce liquidinto the tube 15. Also, capillary action in the tube 15 is avoided. Thisarrangement thus aids in providing a nonleaking bottle unit. Further,the opening in the tube 15 is comparatively small, and even when thebottle is turned upside down, without squeezing pressure thereon,little, if any, liquid will enter the tube 15. This arrangement is anaid in providing the non-spillable feature of this invention.

Again considering the opening 16 through the closure plug 11, thecentral portion of this opening contains the filter 17. This filter maybe a body of felt, cotton, or other material suitable for the purpose ofthis filter, which is to provide a restriction in the dispensing flow,so that a flood of liquid cannot be expelled by accident, and also toremove any sediment or foreign matter that may be in the liquid. Theupper, outer portion of the opening 16 is reduced in diameter, thusforming a retaining shoulder for the filter 17.

On the top of the closure plug boss 11, and in alignment with theopening 16, the dispensing tube 13 is fused to the closure plug. Suchfusion produces a spread in the body of the tube, and a taperingjunction between the tube and the closure plug boss. The tube 13 is asmall diameter, elongated spout, preferably formed of flexible,translucent polyethylene, so that the travel of liquid through it may beseen, as an aid to dispensing. When not in use, the tube 13 is bent in aloop and its free end forced into the recess 14 in the closure plug 11.The free end of the tube terminates in an inward taper, and the mouth ofthe recess 14 has a flaring outward taper, as a means of identifying itand of facilitating the insertion of the tube 13 thereinto. The diameterof the recess is made slightly less than the outer diameter of the tubeto provide a force fitting, nonleaking seal of the tube in the recess.The preferred arrangement is such that the tube does not bottom in therecess, but seals by side wall contact. As an aid in this direction, therecess 14 may be provided with a slight inward taper in the direction ofincreasing depth in the recess. It has been found that the tube 13 mayeasily be forced into the recess 14 sufiiciently to provide a strongholding relation. A useful feature of this invention in this connectionis that the bottle unit may be stored by hanging it on a nail or hookextending through a loop formed by the dispensing tube 13 when the freeend thereof is forced into the recess. Suificient holding strength isprovided to support the bottle unit, even though it is filled with heavyliquid.

Figure II illustrates a position and arrangement of use of the bottleunit. The dispensing tube 13 is pulled out of the recess 14 and allowedto achieve a natural, unrestricted position. The unit is tipped on itsside, and since the free end of the tube 15 is now below the liquidlevel, application of squeezing pressure to the bottle 10 producesliquid drops 21 from the free end of the dispensing tube 13. Thereafter,upon the return of the bottle unit to the position and arrangement ofFigure I, the liquid 18 will again be below the tube 15, and at least asubstantial amount of the liquid remaining in the dispensing tube 13,the closure passage 16, and the tube 15, will drain back into thebottle.

The dispensing tube 13 is not limited in operating position to the bentform of Figure II. It may be bent to any of a great variety ofpositions. While it is flexible, it is sufficiently rigid so that inmost cases it is not necessary to hold the tube in the desired positionwhile the liquid is dispensed. Since the filter 17 provides asubstantial restriction, excellent control is provided of the liquidflow from the dispensing tube. With proper relation of the filtercharacteristics to the type of liquid in the bottle, this flow may bevariable in a single unit from a single drop to a full stream simply byvarying the manual squeeze pressure. A desirable arrangement for manypurposes is to so relate the filter to the type of liquid in the bottlethat a moderate squeezing force will dispense the liquid drop by drop ata rate that can be counted easily.

The alternative structure of Figure IV utilizes the structure of Figures1, II, III, except in regard to the construction and arrangement of thedispensing tube 13 and the tube receiving recess 14. In the structure ofFigure IV, a second boss, 22, is provided on the closure plug 11, andthe recess 14 is formed in the boss 22'with no flare or outward taper ofthe recess at the mouth thereof. The recess in this alternate structureis otherwise the same as that shown and described in connection withFigure III. In Figure IV, the dispensing tube 13 has a cap 23 slidablymounted thereon, tightly enough to provide some sealing actiontherewith. The cap 23 fits over the boss 22 in sealing relationtherewith as shown in solid lines, and may be moved back on the tube 13to a position such as is shown in dotted lines, when the bottle unit isin operative arrangement. An annular head 24 is fused to the tube 13adjacent its free end, and has the double purpose of retaining the cap23 on the tube when the tube is out of the recess 14 and of enabling thetube to be pushed into the recess by pushing on the cap as it abuts thehead 24. This arrangement may be formed with a seal of the tube in therecess, or a seal of the cap on the boss, or both. If desired, also, thecap 23 may be fused to the tube 13 at any desired point along the tube,simply as a finger guard as for example when the bottle contains anacid. A further feature of this arrangement is in the wiping action asthe tube is inserted in the close fitting recess and as the cap ispressed down on the boss. Such action aids in keeping the tip of thespout clean and ready for operation.

The cap 23, when slidable on the dispensing tube 13, may also be usefulwhen it is moved back on the tube as mentioned above. The tube 13, afterhaving its free end stored for a time in the recess 14, may develop abend which remains even when the tube is removed from the recess. If thecap 23 is pushed back on the tube to the point of this bend, it providesa bracing sleeve as a means of at least aiding in temporarilystraightening out the tube. This arrangement may be useful inapplications where it is desirable or necessary to have the tube 13straight during the dispensing action.

The alternative structure of Figure V is a simple, nonrefillabledispensing unit comprising a flexible, generally rectangular bottle 25with a flexible dispensing spout 26 integral therewith. A body of liquid27 is contained in the bottle. Loading the bottle with liquid is part ofthe manufacture of such a throw-away unit, and the bottle may be soloaded at any suitable point in such manufacture, for example, beforethe dispensing spout 26 is secured to the bottle. On the top of thebottle, and at one side, a boss 28 is provided, and a dispensing opening29 is formed through the bottle wall and through the boss 28. Thedispensing tube 26 has one end fused to the boss 28 to provide acontinuation of the dispensing opening 29. On the side opposite the boss28, the bottle has a thickened wall portion 30 with a recess 31 thereinextending down from the top of the bottle. The free end of thedispensing tube 26 is received in this recess to store the tube when theunit is not in use, in the usual manner of this invention.

Referring to Figures VI and VII, a further alternative structure isshown therein. This structure includes a generally cylindrical flexiblebottle 32 with a threaded neck 33 containing a closure plug 34. A cap 35is threaded on the neck 33 to bind an annular-shoulder 36 of the closureplug between the cap and the top of the bottle neck so that the bottleis sealed in a manner similar to the arrangement of Figure III. In thisalternative structure, however, the closure plug 34 has a central boss37 in the form of a truncated cone extending up through a centralopening in the cap 35. A dispensing opening 38 extends down through theboss 37 and. the main body of the closure plug 34. A dispensing tube 39is mounted in the opening 38, with an inner terminal within the bottleen-' closure just below the closure plug. The cap is formed with alateral, tapered offset portion 35' and a recess 40 extends down intothis offset, from the top of the cap. The free end of the dispensingtube 39 is stored in this recess in the manner usual to this inventionwhen the dispensing unit is not in use.

The materials, forms and dimensions of the devices of Figures IV throughVII are variable according to choice in the same manner and for the samereasons as hereinbefore discussed in relation to Figures I through III.The devices of Figures V and VI-VII are operable by pulling thedispensing tube free end out of the storage recess, inverting the wholeunit, and applying squeeze pressure to the bottle.

This invention, therefore, provides a novel liquid dispensing unit inwhich a flexible liquid container is provided with a relatively small,elongated dispensing spout, and a recess in the unit for receiving andsealing the dispensing end of the spout when the unit is not in use.

As many embodiments may be made in the above invention, and as manychanges may be made in the embodiments above described without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as described herein and shownin the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that all matterhereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A liquid dispenser unit for dispensing small quantities of liquid andadapted for frequent, periodic use with out refilling, comprising, incombination, a flexible container with an opening therein, and adispensing spout assembly removably mounted in said opening, saiddispensing spout assembly comprising a closure plug for said openingwith said plug having an opening therethrough, a relatively small,freely flexible, elongated dispensing spout mounted on said plug as acontinuation of said plug opening to receive and dispense liquid fromsaid container as said container is squeezed, said spout having adispensing end that is maintained open at all times to provide constantcommunication from outside said spout to the interior of said container,and means for preventing leakage from the open dispensing end of saidspout when said unit is not in use, said means including a recess insaid closure plug for receiving and lightly gripping the outer,dispensing end of said spout to permit said dispensing end to be freelyremoved and replaced for operation of said unit.

, a liquid receiving tube secured to said closure plug and extending inhook-likeforni inwardly and laterally of said container to form a partof a continuous passage through said opening, said liquid receiving tubebeing lo cated with all portions thereof closely adjacent said containeropening, a relatively small, freely flexible, elongated dispensing spoutalso secured to said closure plug and extending outwardly of said bottleas a continuation of said passage and for receiving and dispensingliquid from said container through said inwardly extending tube as saidcontainer is squeezed, said spout having a dispensing end that ismaintained open at all times to provide constant communication fromoutside said spout to the interior of said container, a filter body insaid passage, and means for preventing leakage from the open dispensingend of said spout when said unit is not in use, said means including arecess in said closure plug for receiving and lightly gripping theouter, dispensing end of said spout to permit said dispensing end to befreely removed and replaced for operation of said unit.

3. A liquid dispenser bottle unit for dispensing small quantities ofliquid and adapted for frequent, periodic use without refilling,comprising, in combination, a flexible'plastic bottle having a topportion with an open ended cylindrical neck therein, an all plasticdispensing spout assembly removably mounted in said neck, and ashouldered sleeve threaded on said neck with a portion of saiddispensing spout assembly clamped between the shoulder of said sleeveand the outer end of said neck, said dispensing spout assemblycomprising a cylindrical plastic plug with one end thereof removablymounted in said neck and the other end thereof extending outwardly ofthe bottle suificiently to provide a finger grip for removing said plugfrom said neck, said plug having a peripheral boss thereon which is thesaid clamped portion of said assembly, said plug further having apassage therethrough and an outwardly facing recess therein, and saiddispensing spout assembly further comprising a dispensing pipearrangement utilizing said passage to pro-. vide an outlet for saidcontainer, said pipe arrangement including an inner plastic pipedisposed within the container and wholly adjacent the said containerneck in a laterally disposed curved formation terminating in an endadjacent and facing the said top portion of said bottle, and said pipearrangement further including an outer flexible plastic dispensing spoutin the form of a circular cross-section tube, said spout having adispensing end that is maintained open at all times to provide constantcommunication from outside said spout to, the interior of saidcontainer, said outwardly facing recess in said plug having a diameterslightly less than the diameter of said spout and extendingsubstantially the full length of said plug, said recess beingconstructed and arranged to receive in snug engagement with its sidewall a substantial length of the full diameter outer end of saiddispensing spout when said dispenser bottle unit is not in use.

I References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

